Parking meters in St. Paul free on Saturday, then comes a rate hike

All parking meters in St. Paul will be free on Saturday. That's the good news. Starting Monday it will cost you more to feed the meter. That's the bad news.

The city's Public Works Department will be resetting meters citywide on Saturday to accommodate a new fee structure and expanded hours of enforcement that go into effect Monday.

The transition to the new rates and hours includes the implementation of event parking rates in the downtown area. While meters are being reset, the city will suspend parking fees for a day, Saturday.

“Our team is going to work as quickly as possible to transition our pay stations to the new hours and rates,” said Public Works Director Kathy Lantry. “This work will create inconsistent hours and rates across the city, so we are going to suspend enforcement for the day.”

Starting Monday, here are the rates and hours meters in the Capitol city will be in effect:

Meters will be enforced from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sundays remain free.

Standard meter rates will be $2 an hour between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and $1 an hour between 6 and 10 p.m. Some corridors where parking demand is not as great will have reduced rates.

Motorists will find higher rates during certain events. Meters in the Xcel Energy Center Event Parking Zone (shown in red on map below) will be $3.75 an hour. Meters in the CHS Field Event Parking Zone (shown in blue on the map below) will be $2.50 an hour.

Drivers can plan on more weekend closures in the spring as the $239 million I-35W downtown-to-Crosstown project continues until 2021. In a shred of good news, MnDOT will reopen ramp access from northbound I-35W to 5th Avenue on Monday.

Winter's arrival has not put the chill on road construction as drivers will encounter another weekend freeway closure in Minneapolis, and bridge work in Forest Lake is expected to bring traffic delays.